Windows Small Business Server 2011 : Set Up Your Internet Address (part 1) - Registering a New Domain Name & Using an Existing Domain Name

9/15/2011 11:36:14 AM

Before you can set up your Internet presence, you must gather a variety of information:

You must have an Internet domain name. If you don’t have one, you must register one with a domain registration service. You will need a prospective name and several alternatives, and a credit card to pay the registration fee.
If you already have an Internet domain name, you’ll need the name of your Internet providers as well as the logon information for the provider.

Choosing an Internet Domain Name

When choosing an Internet domain name, you want a name that clearly identifies your organization without being too long or too abbreviated—both are difficult to remember.

For example, if your business name is a long one, shorten it in a comprehensible way. A name that’s too long tries the patience of people looking for your site.

Names that are too short have their own hazards. Using initials can work, but they must provide some information and avoid being inadvertently humorous.

Note:

Don’t get hung up on needing to have a .com. You’re much more likely to be able to get a name you like with a .net, .biz, or .info extension.

1. Registering a New Domain Name

Click the Set Up Your Internet Address link to view the list of what you’ll need to start the process. Click Next, and then follow these steps:

As shown in Figure 1 , the Internet Address Management Wizard asks you to choose between purchasing a new domain name and using one you already have. Select I Want To Purchase A New Domain Name, and then click Next.

Figure 1. Getting a new domain name
Type the domain name you want to register, and select the extension from the drop-down list. Click Next.
Select a domain name provider from the list provided (shown in Figure 2) and then click Next.

Figure 2. Choosing a name provider

Note:

Including your postal address improves the search because some national extensions are available only to residents. For example, you must be in Canada to register a domain name with the .ca extension.
If the domain name you choose is not available, possible variations appear in the Available Domain Names list. Accept one of those or search again. If the name is available, you can register it, as shown in Figure 3 . Click Register Now to be connected to the domain name registry company.

Figure 3. If the name you want is available, click Register Now
After completing the registration, return to the page in Figure 3 , and then click Next.
On the Store Your Domain Name Information page (shown in Figure 4 ), enter the domain name and the user name you registered (if they’re not already entered) and the password you used when registering. Click Configure to complete the process.

Figure 4. Storing the domain registration information

2. Using an Existing Domain Name

If you already have a registered domain name, you can easily set up your presence on the Internet. Before you start, you’ll need the domain name and the name and logon information for your domain provider. When you’re ready, click the Set Up Your Internet Address link and follow these steps:

Read the introductory material, and then click Next.
On the Do You Want To Register A New Domain Name page, select I Already Have A Domain Name, and then click Next.
You next have to choose whether you want the server to manage the domain name or to manage it yourself.
On the Type The Domain Name That You Want To Use page, type the domain name you own and select the extension from the drop-down list (shown in Figure 5). Click Next.

Figure 5. Entering the existing domain name you want to use
Choose a domain name provider from the partner list, and click Next.
Click Visit Web Site, and follow the instructions provided. Then return to the Update Domain Name Registration With Your Provider page, and click Next.
On the Store Your Domain Name Information page, type the domain name and the user name you registered (if they’re not already entered) and the password you used when registering. Click Configure to complete the process.

The Internet Address Management Wizard will proceed to configure your server as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. The wizard configures Windows SBS 2011 to use your domain name

Who Manages the Domain Name?

When you have an existing domain name, you can do the management of the name yourself or let the server do it for you. It’s considerably easier to let the server manage the domain name, but the key issues are as follows:

Is your name registered with one of the domain name providers partnered with Microsoft? If yes, let the server manage the domain name.
If your name is registered with another domain name provider, are you willing to have the registration transferred to one of the Microsoft partners? If yes, let the server manage the domain name.

However, you might have no choice but to manage the domain yourself if one of the following applies:

The wizard doesn’t list the domain name extension for your existing domain name.
No partner domain name providers are listed for your country or region.

If the server manages the domain name, the wizard configures the following:

Domain Name System (DNS)
Certification Authority
Internet Information Services (IIS)
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail policies for Exchange Server
The Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) architecture, if supported by your router

If you manage the domain name yourself, you must add DNS records to your server as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. DNS resource records to add for server self-management
RESOURCE RECORD NAME	RECORD TYPE	SETTING	DESCRIPTION
Remote	A	Static IP address of the WAN side of the router or firewall. Provided by your Internet Service provider.	Maps your domain name to the WAN IP address
MX	Alias	Remote yourdomainname.ext	Provides message routing for email to mailrecipient@yourdomainname.ext
SPF	TXT	v=spf1 a mx ~all	Helps to prevent your email from being labeled as spam by receiving mail servers
Autodiscover_tcp	SRV	Service: _autodiscover Protocol: _tcp Priority: 0 Weight: 0 Port: 443 Target host: remote.yourdomainname.ext	Allows Office Outlook 2007 with Service Pack 1 and Windows Mobile 6.1 email clients to automatically identify and set up Outlook Anywhere (RPC over HTTP)